Addressing-machine.



No. 629,24L Patentadluly 18, I899.

, A. DICK. ADDRESSING MACHINE (Apjalication am May 4, 1896.,

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

No Model.)

.movouwc wasame'ron n c No. s29,24|.- Patentd m I8, 899. I

I A. DICK.

ADDRESSING MACHlNE.

(Application filed May 4, 1896.,

2 Sheets-Sheet 21 No Model.)

2 z M V V v fiza/eivioi.

- UNITED STATE PAT NT e OFFICE.

. ALEXANDER pick, on MERIDIAN, NEW YORK.

ADDRESSING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 629,241, dated my is, 1899.

hpplication filed May 4,1896. Serial N0.'590,1'71. (N model.)

To call 1071110711 it may concern:

Be it knownthat- LVALEXANDER DICK, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Meridian, in the county of Cayuga, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Add ressing- Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in addressing-machinesof the class commonly known as the belt-feeder and automatic labeler and of which my brother, Robert Dick, his first patent being'numbered 64,502 and dated October 4, 1857, was the original in'venter and patentee; The chief points of these improvements are given more specifically as follows: first, a better form of shell, being the same as that of my star-mailer, which is'al together a slideway-feed machine, patented September, 18, 1877, No. 195,209; second,in combination with a belt-feed movement, a short slidewaybetween it and the cutting-blades, by which the handle and propelling-roll are brought back to a higher position in the descent toward the cutters, allowing space between said roll and the pro-' jecting ends of the cutters, thus not requiring the .roll to be placed inconveniently at a point beyond said ends as formerly 3.11am the same timepermitting' the motor-arm to occupy a position adjacent to the shell directly under'the hand of the operator andin line of its action and not at 'adistanceand' eccentric thereto, as formerly in machines of this belt-feed and automatic kind; third,- instead of a heavy metallic roller to give ten-.

"sion to the belt alight tension-roller added' with spring action gives a better result;-

fourth, bythe employment of a large metallic paste-roller, hollow and light, like that of my star-mailer already referred to, turning in fixed bearings, which may be sprung a little from each other, around which roller the paste-belt passes and over thetension-roller seventh, a greatlyimproved connection of the vibrating blade with its operating-lever and check at proper eievation; eighth, an inrproved in ode of regulating the paste upon the paste-belt.

For those skilled in .the art the following description will be snificient, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, in which the same letter always designates the same part.

Figure 1 is a top plan view of this machine. Fig. 2 is a sideview of the same from the left.

Fig. 3 is a front view with belt and-blades I removed. Fig. 4: is a view of the vibrating blade with the parts towhich it is attached.

Fig. 5 is a view of the paste-regulator and spring.- Fig. 6 is a detached perspective view of one end of the paste-rollerbearings.. Fig.

7 is a. cross-section view of propelling-cylinder'. Fig. 8 is. a detached perspective view of the motor-arm. Fig. 9 is a central longi- .tudinal and vertical section View of this improved addressing-machine.

As already stated, the shell or supportingframe of this addressing-machine is like that ofmy star-mailer and is composed of a rear address-holding compartmen t,a middle pasteholding compartment, and a forward supportin'g frame' portion, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2,

havi-ng'the rear end plate marked E, Fig; 3, the middle division-plate K, and front plate. In the rear compartment is the roll and spindle O 0, upon which th e web of printed addresses is reeled.' In the middle compartmentis the large paste-roller X, made of thin plate metal hollow and light, having the ends of its axis projecting a little and'jou rnaled in openings in the ends of astrip of flat spring metal that is secured transversely to the bottom of the shell with its ends turned up atan angle near the sides of the shell, thus permitting the bearings to be sprung. a little apart, but not otherwise, to receive as journals the'ends of the axis of paste-roller X, having its lower part within, but theupper and main part above the surface of the paste. These bearings are seen at the points@ e, Figs. 1 and 6. The tension-roller R, Figs. 3

and 9,has the ends of its axis turning on springs S S, Figs. 1 and 9, thatgive it the necessary upward pressure against the belt B when in position to secure action. These springs at their lower end are secured to the shell by soldering or otherwise, one on each side within the shell, their upper ends being turnedinto hooks or circular openings to re- I above the paste. In Figs. 1 and 3thesebearings are marked 0. [0.

The pasting-belt B may consist of any suitable material. Vulcanizedrubber steam: packing is good, but must be of the thinnest kind. Having placed the paste-roller X in the end of the belt, spring the endsl of its axis into their bearings, and the tension-roller being in place, with the cylinder 0, having spurs on its surface, Fig. 7, placed inthe end of the belt, bringit forward and over the tension-roller'R and front plate I of the paste-compartment down till the tension-roller acts on the belt. Then insert the shaft into its bearing on the left side of the shell at d, Fig. l, and push it into and through the cylinder into its bearing cl on the right side of the shell. This shaft has upon its end the finger piece or -roll F, as seen in the figures. It must pass with some degree of fixedness into the propelling-cylinder O which has upon it the shoulders c 0, one each side the belt to retainit in position.

If now the finger-piece E be revolved, the cylinder and belt will also be revolved easily and truly. As will be seen from the figures, there is an intervening space between the belt movement and the stationary "blade G. Filling this space is a ribbed or corrugated slideway M, Figs. 1 and 3,to support the web of addresses as it passes from the belt and propeller down to the cutters. is secured to ametallic plate bent in the form ofa half-cylinder, with its open side forward and secured to the shell, as seen in Figs. 3 and 9 and marked 3 By this combination of slideway and pastinghelt movement three important points are gainedviz., first, by bending the front of plate on which the slideway rests, down or up a true delivery of 'motor-arm adjacent to the shell under the hand of the operator, its best position, which could not be formerly and so had to be placed beyond and eccentric to the action ofthe hand operating the machine and at a distance removed from' its center of gravity.

' The weight of the machine itselfsupplies the main power required for the cutting off and This slideway rests upon and action, and hence the importance of having the motor-arm, which is effective by acting upon the underlying substance as afulcrum, come as near, to the center of gravity ofthe machine as possible and directly under the hand of the operator. I

The motor-arm JJ, Figs. 1, 2, and 3, made of stiff spring-wire, is hinged in the rear end of the shell by passing through it at opposite points h h near the bottom. It is then brought forward contiguous to the shell on the left side, and near the projecting end of the stationary cutter G is bent outward and around in front of the cutting-blades, and at P is doubled up over itself, but openly, and

is continued and brought around until it intersects the line of direction of the stationary blade G a little beyond its extremity. At 19 it again doubles up over itself with a somewhat sharp turn with a short point looking directlyforward which point projects through a shoulder t, beyond which it is received as a movable axis of force in the end of lever a at a, connecting with the vibrating, cutting, and stamping blade WV. This blade, Fig. 4, is a highly-tempered steel plate ground and polished, as required. extension-lever a, which is preferably cast in onepiece of brass and is so formed as to receive the bolt I, on which the two parts a and a are hinged, together with the blade VV This is joined to a easily and truly by soldering, if carefully done, without drawing its temper. The bolt after passing through the brass casting is screwed into and through Its bearer a has an the stationary blade G, and when attached to the machine the protruding end is slipped through the ear g, Figs. 1 and 3, and a nut 91., screwed up firmly in the rear, holds the bolt and blades securely in position, the other end of the stationary blade being held in the socket 9. Both cutting-blades are made of comparatively thin steel, and the bearer a has a shoulder b to keep the cutter-stamp WV, which lies fiat horizontally, from catching under the stationary blade when brought down. The handle of this machine, D, as seen in the figures, is' formed of wood and fastened to the left side of the shell with screws. This has long been a common device; but I put with it a balancerthat is new in form and attachment and with new capabilities. It is marked H in the figures and is made of thin but'stitf metallic plate, is

placed between the wooden handle and thestamping on of the addresses in its automatic lower end is turned outwardly and formed to rest as afoot upon the motorarm J, on which it hasdownward spring action.

, web in proper direction.

The cross-bar L, Figs. 1 and 2, is placed so as to hold down the web-of addresses as it passes from the reel to" the pasting-belt B and bring it in contact therewith. It may be supplied with shoulders t' '11, which confine the The spurs r r upon the slideway M perform a like function. The end of bar L on the left is turned at a right angle, which part is hinged in a socket that is secured longitudinally to the upper edge of the shell at w. Thus the bar can instantly be laid overout of the way, if desired, as seen in Fig. 3, and again instantly broughtin use. This is a new and important device found in no other addressing-machine.

The paste-regulator V, Fig. 5, is made of a narrow strip of metal the length of the-pasteroller X, with tooth-indentations on its edge and preferably on both edges, the indenta tions being somewhat greater onone edge than on the other, so as to allow more or less I ting-blades against each other.

, in the end of the motor-arm wire at 10 should paste upon the belt. The regulator being reversible, it is soldered longitudinally to a wire 8 s, the ends of which are bent, as shown in the figure, constituting spring-arms, which again at equidistances are bentoutwardly in opposite directions and which with short points are sprung into bearing-openings on each side of the shell or supporting-frame near its upper edge and exactly opposite, as seen atm m, Fig. 1, and alsoadj usted that the narrow'serrated plate will come edgewise along and against the rear side of paste-rollerX and of course across the pasting-belt B when in place. The spring V has its upper part bent overthe upper edge of-the rear plate thence to the .vibrating. cutting-blade W against the stationary cutting-blade G and that according as this point of the motor-arm is sprung more or less forward more or less cutting pressure is communicated to the cut- This, however, is not novel; but the mode by which I check the elevation ofthe vibrating blade at the proper poi ut is novel and complete, which is as follows: I have before said that the bend be somewhat sharp; but it should besuch as toleave a little space between the lower edge of lever a, through which the wire point proj ects as a motor-axis, and the underlying wire. The end of'lever a I make to project a little beyond motoraxis u and in excess of the space or opening between the point and wire over which it is bent, and I so adjust the .whole that when the vibrating blade rises by the deto a heavy vibrating blade.

The lower end isscent of lever a itlwill he stopped at the proper elevation by the projecting end of lever a coming in contact with the underlying wire of the motor-arm. Heretofore in the best mach-inc having this kind of automatic action the uncertain and excessive elevation of the vibrating blade has sometimes been very annoying to the operator, as is also the loose and unsightly attachment of the lever From the foregoing description the action of this improved addressing-machine in all regulator will keep back the su perfluous paste,

leaving the desired quantity. upon the belt, and there will be none inside of it, for it closely hugs the paste-roller while passing through the paste. Now bring forward the end of the address-web and lay it in position upon the pasting-belt. bar L upon the web. Now take the machine in the left hand, grasping the hand is D in the palm, with the forefinger upon the propellerroll F and thethumb inside the balancer H. With'the machine thus in hand resting upon the pile ofpapers or articles to be addressed raise it a little. The action of springY upon the motor-arm J J will press itdownward, which at the 'sametime acting upon the end of lever a at u will bring it down, and thereby raise the cutter-stamp W to the proper elevation, it being there stopped by the outer point of lever a coming in contact with the underlying wire of the motor-arm. The conditions are now proper for feeding the add ressweb into the'cutters. Receiving paste'on its under side-from the pasting belt, and thusadheringthereto,-it is fed'forward by the action of the finger upon the feeding-roll F and is pushed down the ribs of the slideway M, which Bring over the hinged it lightly touches, into the cutters one address.v Now'drop' the machine, with a littlepressure, if. necessary, upon the paper he neath. This. has become a fulcrum to the motor-arm, the pressure of springY has been overcome, and reverse action of axisupon 1ever a has pushed .it upand brought down the cutter-stampnw, which, in conjunction, with the stationary blade, has cut off the address andaifixe'd it upon the: underlying paper, I

which the right "hand at once removes, and

the operation, automatic to thefullest advan- 'tag'eousexte'nu it is believed, is repeated ad t eeaaii of the papers next to the operator then the paper under the motonarm in front of the cutters becomes its fulcrum.

I do not claim invention for everything presented in the foregoing description; but

What I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an addressing-machine, the combina tion with the supporting-frame provided with bearing-openings in its sides, the front and rear paste-belt-supporting rollers mounted in said frame, the paste-holding comparb ment and the paste-belt, of a paste-regulatin g device or scraper provided with spring-arms adapted to be sprung into the bearing-openings in the supporting-frame and a spring having its upper end bent over the top edge of the rear wall of the paste-holding com partment, and its opposite end in engagement with said scraper to hold it with a spring tension against the paste-belt, the said scraper being reversible and. provided with two serrated edges, as set forth.

2. In an addressing-machine, the combination of the supporting frame or casing, the paste-holding compartment, the paste-belt, the front belt-supporting roller, the rear beltsupporting roller, a supplemental tensionroller mounted in spring-bearings, a reversible double-serrated-edge scraper hung loosely from bearings near the top of the side walls of the paste-holding compartment and a spring having its upper end bent over the top edge of the rear wall of the paste-holding compartment and its opposite end in spring contact with the scrape-r to press it with a spring tension against the belt.

3. In an addressing-machine, the combination with the casing comprising the rear compartment, the paste-holding compartment and the forward compartment, two curved springs each rigidly secured at its lower end to one of the inner sides of the casing, and having itsupp'er end bent in a hook form, and a supporting portion turned transversely on the bottom of said casing and provided with spring ends bent upward at an angle therefrom and forming bearing portions, of a main belt-carrying roller adapted to be sprung into and supported in a fixed position in the spring ends of the supporting portion, with the bearings above the surface of the paste and its lower surface immersed within, a forward belt-carrying roller supported in the forward compartment of the casing, a tension-regulating roller adapted to be sprung into the hooked ends of the curved springs, and held thereby entirely above the surface of the paste, and a paste-belt partially encircling and supported by the main roller and the forward supporting-roller, and held with a spring tens'ion against the main roller by the springsupported regulatingroller, and especially against the roller'beneath thepaste, thus preventing the paste from reaching the inner surface of the belt, as set forth.

i. In an addressing-machine, comprising a shell composed of a rear address-holding com partment, a middle paste-holding compartment, and a forward frame portion, a rollersupporting portionsecured to the bottom of the paste-holding compartment and having its ends bent substantially vertically upward at a short distance inwardly from the sides of the frame toform spring-arms which are movable toward or from each other only and are provided with openings near their top, a main roller having the two ends of its axis extended a little and adapted to seat and journal in the openings in the spring-arms, a cylinder provided with a serrated periphery and forming a forward roller, a shaft passed through the sides of the forward frame portion and the cylinder and having a portion protruding on the exterior, a finger-piece supported on said protruding portion, and a belt passed partiallyaround the main roller, and the forward roller and a tension-roller located between the main roller and the forward roller, spring portions having their lower ends secured to the interior of the shell and their upper ends bent to partially encircle and support the tension-roller, and adapted to press said tensionroller upward against the belt, as set forth.

5. In an addressing-machine of the class described, having a motor-arm for effecting am tomatic action, a side handle-grip and a beltfeeding roller, the combination of the shellframe, the cutting mechanism supported at the front of the shell-frame, a main roller, a forward feeding-roller, a pasting-belt supported upon the main roller and the forward feeding-roller, an auxiliary side feeding-roller rigidly mounted upon the shaft of the forward feeding-roller, and a slideway in front of the feeding-belt and interposed between the cutting mechanism and the forward feed- -ing-roller,whereby the belt-feeding roller and the side feeding-roller are elevated above the plane of the shell-bottom, and also removed back from the cutting mechanism sufficiently to afford the motor-arm place'and room for.

action adjacent to the shell under the hand of the operator, substantially as set forth.

6. In a label-addressing machine, having-a motor-arm for automatic action of the vibrating cutting-bladewith a connecting-lever the end of which receives the end of the motorarm bent over upon itself. and forming the of forming the end of the lever with a protruding portion that shall come in contact with the underlying portion of a motor-arm, substantially as set forth.

7. In a label-addressing machine, the combination with a handle to be held in the palm of the hand and fastened upon the left side of the shell or supporting-frame with screws, of a belt-feeding roller, a thumb-balancer formed from a stiff metallic plate and hinged upon the forward connecting-screw of the handle in rear of and in proximity to the beltfeeding roller and by so hinging made ad j 11st able to the'hand or fancy of the opeiator substantially as set forth.

8. In an addressing-machine, provided witha web of addresses and a pasting-belt, the combination of a presserrbar adapted to be brought down upon the web of addresses in its passage to the pasting-belt, one end of said bar being bent at a right angle and hinged in a bearing secured longitudinally at 01' upon the upper edge of the shell on the left side to thereof, whereby the same can be swung into and out of action, substantially as set forth.

' ALEXANDER DICK.

- Witnesses:

JAMES SANGSTER, L. M. SPONG. 

